Guilford-Rockingham County NcArchives Military Records.....Gann, Sr, Samuel Revwar - Pension ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com June 16, 2006, 2:09 am Pension Application Of Samuel Gann, Sr, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 1045, Application #S9664 SAMUEL GANN, Sr, a resident of Rockingham County, aged eighty-one years: “That he was living in Guilford County, N. Carolina at the time of the Revolutionary War, and entered the service of the Unites States as a private soldier, the year not now recollected (but it was to go against the British who were in South and North Carolina (under LORD CORNWALLIS, LORD RAWDON and TARLETON) for a term of three or six months, he is not certain which, under the following named officers (viz.), Captain THOMAS COOK, Lieutenant JOHN COOK, and Ensign THOMAS CRAWLEY [another pension app, John Paisley’s, has called this officer THOMAS CLARK, and in Crawley’s own pension application he does not speak of being a captain, nor do his terms of service coincide with the service presented below.].” “Joined the regiment under the following field officers at Guilford Courthouse: DAVIE was Colonel, Cmt. DE BRISBOURN, Lieutenant Colonel, and WHITE was our Major. Were marched on to Salisbury in Rowan County, where we first under the command of Brigadier General DAVIDSON. This officer was killed in a short time after this by the British, not far from the Catawba River. From Rowan, we marched on, to the County of Mecklenburg, where we met with the British at Charlotte Courthouse and had a battle with them. The enemy were too strong for us and our troops were defeated [per Heitman, September 26, 1780], after which we had a great many skirmishes with the British and Tories.” “Sometime after this, we had an engagement with the Tories at Waxhaw Creek, S.C. DAVIE and BRISBURN conducted that expedition, which proved successful. We defeated them [per Heitman, May 29, 1780-occurred before the Battle of Charlotte] and took forty-seven horse, saddles and bridles. In a short time afterwards, our term of service having expired, were marched to Salisbury and discharged. I was drafted again in a short time after reaching home. But the situation of my crops required that I should stay at home and take care of it, or lose it. I hired a substitute in my place.” “But in a very short time thereafter, another draft came and I stood my tour, and went into service for a term of three months. Fortunately for me, I fell under the same officers [Capt. THOMAS COOK, Lt. JOHN COOK, Ens. THOMAS ‘CLARK’]. Whilst on this tour, an American officer went to my house and informed my wife that he was a press officer and that he wanted provisions for the troops. He went into my house (as my wife informed me) and took as much of my bacon as he thought proper, which was, I suppose between 50 and 100 pounds and gave my wife a piece of writing which he said was a ticket on the government for me to be had for the same. But I never got anything for my meat. The paper was lost and that was the end of my claim.” “I again joined the army as a volunteer, just before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in General GREENE’s army. On the day of the battle, myself and several others of the troops were detached to take care of some beef cattle for the army. We were ordered to drive the cattle from a place called the Ironworks to a field within a mile or two of Guilford Courthouse, once there to guard them closely all day. On the day after the battle we drove the cattle to General GREENE’s army and they were killed and slaughtered up for the use of the army. In a short time afterwards, I was discharged and returned home.” “During the period of the Revolutionary War, whilst the enemies were so very troublesome in our part of the country, the militia had to be in constant readiness to march against the British and Tories. I was out in a great many different periods of service beside those above mentioned, sometimes for a term of 5 or 6 days, or sometimes for ten, fifteen and as high as twenty days, and then permitted to return home again. This condition of affairs continued for two or three years.” Question- Where and in what year were you born? Answer- I was born in Frederick County, State of Virginia about 15 miles of Winchester, in the year 1748 or thereabouts. I have no record of my age. Question- Where were you living when called into service? Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?” Answer- I was living on the Mayo River in Guilford County, North Carolina at the time I was in the service, and have lived in the same neighborhood ever since, and do now live on a small tract of land within two miles of the place I first lived on in the time of the Revolutionary War, which is now Rockingham County, which was taken off of Guilford, as near? In as _____ to nor I was in all my life.???” Question- How were you called into service? Were you drafted or did you volunteer? Answer- Sometimes was drafted and sometimes I volunteered. Question- State the names of some of the regular officers with whom you served. Answer-“I am unable now to mention ?any ?names with any degree of accuracy except Colonel WASHINGTON of the Light Horse, whom I saw at the Guilford Battle.” Question Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so, by whom was it signed? Answer- I received several discharges which I believe were given by my captain and colonel, the whole of them are lost or mislaid. Question- State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify to your character for veracity and their belief of your service in the Revolution. Answer- James Scales, Sr, the Rev. John L. Wilson, and Nicholas Dalton, Esq. …James Scales, Sr certifies that he has perfect knowledge of the present applicant’s service as set forth in his declaration, that he lived in the immediate neighborhood of the applicant at the time of the Revolutionary War and has continued to live in the same place ever since.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/gannsr172gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb